Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack… and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’d learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer- and son- of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf- a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack.

Charles has been alone for so many centuries, he has lost hope of finding his mate. Thus he wasn’t prepared for his reaction when he met Anna, a young wolf who has been abused by her alpha and her pack. He must protect her at all cost and his rational side is having a hard time processing all those new emotions.

Cry Wolf is the first novel in a spin-off series of the highly popular Mercy Thompson series. The Alpha and Omega series features Charles, the son and enforcer of Bran, the Marrok (a.k.a. Alpha of all Alphas). Charles has been in the background of Mercy’s world since the beginning but he has always been a mystery, so it was really nice to finally get to discover the guy. Mercy & Adams aren’t part of the novel, even though they are mentioned, but Bran & Sam will be there!

I really liked this first installment in the series, but I have to say the beginning baffled me a bit. It starts right after a big battle to save Anna from her pack, as the dust settles down. I really wondered if I picked up the second book because I was honestly confused. I know there’s a novella published in the On The Prowl anthology which I haven’t read, and it might be about this battle. Or maybe it was referred to in one of Mercy’s books? I honestly down know. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the novel though, because Patricia Briggs gives you enough back story to figure out what happened before the story picks up.

The story line was a lot different from the Mercy novels (sorry I can’t help but compare!) and I greatly appreciated it! Mercy is the kind of girl to dive head first, to hell with the consequences, and then she needs rescue most of the time. Anna is more of a level-headed and underdog, or should I say underwolf (?), girl and she tries to play it smart. She’s not super strong physically, but she’s smart and has other talents she learns to use along the way. The beginning was a little bit slow because even though this is a spin-off series, Briggs still had a lot of elements and story to introduce, but Cry Wolf is such a quick read that you barely notice. Action-packed from about the middle of the book, you will get to the last page and wonder how it ended so quickly.

It was a delight to rediscover characters under a new light and to meet some new ones. I was used to Charles coming out as cold but there is some much turmoil underneath that calm surface! Anna also made a very strong impression and I truly can’t wait to learn more about her and her special status. I also have to mention Asil, an old-as-dirt wolf, who really caught my attention. He is a grumpy old man (not in looks though) and I loved getting an insight on what hides under that shell of his.

Cry Wolf turned out to be an amazing debut to a new series and even though I compare it a lot with the Mercy Thompson series, it really stands on its own and you don’t need to read the latter before you can pick it up. I’m gonna hurry and read Hunting Ground, the second book in the series, because Fair Game, the third book, releases very soon.

Patricia Briggs has an amazing talent when it comes to urban fantasy and I would strongly recommend you give both of her series a shot!

Tynga is a 29 years old mom from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and blogging about them. Make sure to say hi on twitter!

This book does start up right after the novella in On The Prowl, which shows us how Anna and Charles first meet and the big fight that you mention. I was lucky enough to have read the “Alpha and Omega” novella first so I had it all in context but I can see why you felt you were missing something.

If you read this bit from Patricia Briggs’ blog (http://hurog.com/books/crywolf.shtml) you’ll see a bit of her explanation. I think she says somewhere else on her site that she hadn’t intended that novella to be the start of a new series, which is why there’s a bit of a jumble with this one getting started…

I’m another who actually likes A&O more than Mercy. I just adore the dynamic between Charles and Anna. You have got to read the novella though. It’s a great story on its own and sets up the first book perfectly.

nice review, and I like both series a lot. The big difference is perhaps that Mercy is in 1st person, and Alpha and Omega in third. And reading preferences for that sort of thing are important in liking a series. But I am curious what will happen in Fair Game.

I love the Mercy Thompson series though I only read the first 4 books … I met Patricia last year and I intended to pick up this companion series and the fifth book in the Mercy Thompson series but for some reason I didn’t !! I really should though … Thanks for the fabulous review Tynga !!!

I just finished Fair Game and I have never read any Briggs books before! Thanks for the run down of the first one. I was very impressed with Briggs talent and loved Fair Game. I now want to read the first two books as well as the Mercy series. this is UF at its best!